Boro saved by late strike

Notts County 1 Middlesbrough 2

Joseph-Desire Job struck late to spare sluggish Middlesbrough from FA Cup embarrassment against brave Notts County at Meadow Lane.

Job’s 76th-minute strike sent the Premiership giants through to the fourth round but only after League Two strugglers County had threatened a major upset.

Tony Scully gave the home side the lead with less than two minutes on the clock – and the underdogs hung on until early in the second half when Brazilian Doriva crashed home an equaliser.

Scully’s strike scuppered Boro hopes of an easy ride after a hectic festive programme which hit their European ambitions hard.

Scully beat Franck Quedrue to find space on the right flank, and his looping effort from the edge of the box deflected off Ugo Ehiogu before soaring over Mark Schwarzer into the net.

County continued to put pressure on Boro’s centre-back pairing of Ehiogu and Chris Riggott as they showed little inclination to sit back on their lead.

And their spirit remained up until injury-time when County were denied a replay when Michael Reiziger headed Shaun Harrad’s header off the line.

Caretaker-boss Ian Richardson’s men had played way above themselves as rose to the challenge of making good use of unusual levels of space and time.

Frustrated Boro’s best response to the early goal came down the flanks through youngsters James Morrison and Stewart Downing – but a major upset appeared on the cards.

County got first chance to extend their lead with Glynn Hurst’s deep 12th-minute cross just eluding Gavin Gordon’s head in the penalty box.

And two minutes later defender David Pipe drilled a low 20-yard effort which Schwarzer saw late and did well to grasp on his goal-line.

Gradually Boro began to heap on the pressure but superb last-gasp defending from the League Two side maintained their advantage.

First Kelvin Wilson produced a superb interception to nick the ball from the head of Ehiogu – and from the resulting corner Matthew Gill hooked Morrison’s header off the line.

However the Premiership side still looked surprisingly susceptible at the back with Wilson winning a 20th minute header in the box to set up another chance for Scully.

This time the in-rushing wide man snatched at his chance and ballooned a weak effort high over Schwarzer’s bar.

Hustling and harrying for every ball, the Magpies continued to make a mockery of the vast gulf in league places between the two sides.

Mike Whitlow proved the point in the 27th minute when Morrison’s ball sent Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink into the box but the former Leicester man nicked the ball off the Dutchman’s toes with ease.

Boro’s best chances continued to come from Downing’s set-pieces with his long-range free-kick on the half-hour well held by Saul Deeney in the County goal.

Hasselbaink’s miserable afernoon continued on 35 minutes when he momentarily found himself with a clear shooting chance only to tread on Ray Parlour’s fine through-ball.

Job came agonisingly close with a point-blank header in the 39th minute but this time Gill again was back to boot the ball off the line.

The visitors’ front pair contrived a staggering miss two minutes after the re-start when first Hasselbaink then Job seemed reluctant to stab the ball home from point-blank range and Wilson hacked off the line for the third time.

Finally Boro drew level in the 54th minute after Reiziger’s rising effort had been well parried by keeper Deeney.

The rebound eventually fell to Doriva, who crashed home a superb 25-yard effort to take the immediate pressure off Steve McClaren’s men.

Boro pressed for a winner but twice young substitute Danny Graham was denied by fine defending by Whitlow and David Pipe.

Job finally sealed Boro’s escape in the 76th minute when he pounced in a crowded box to poke home Downing’s precise right-wing free-kick.

Shortly afterwards Graham had another chance to extend Boro’s hard-won advantage but saw another close-range effort cleared off the line.

County poured forward with increasing abandon but after Oakes hit a late free-kick high, Harrad came agonisingly close to notching a deserved draw.